On the recommendation of my mother, I watched a program about modern engineering solutions, Supersized Earth – The Way We Move, which took us through a number of amazing engineering solutions. The world’s highest bridge, a ship that can carry oil rigs, they are projects that defy description.
As I watched, I was torn between amazement at the audacity at the engineering and a feeling that this was slowly turning into a list of everything that is wrong with the modern world. When we can boast that the world now has enough cars to fill the Grand Canyon, I wonder where it will all end.
We now appear to have the knowledge and ability to overcome almost any obstacle that nature may present, which on face value may be desirable. But being able to shape our world, to extract fuels and minerals from ever more difficult deposits just means that we will use those resources all the sooner.
My only wish, is that our common sense in employing this knowledge increases at least as fast as our ability to use the knowledge. My fear is, that as with most things in the modern world, the lure of the commercial opportunities will outweigh the focus on environmental issues.
The Search For Enlightenment 
Dec 01, 2012 @ 23:30:20
Reblogged this on Inspirational Photography.
Dec 02, 2012 @ 16:27:51
All too true unfortunately. Not all business and commerce leads to a nurturing of the human condition. I saw a statistic recently that suggested there were more obese people in the world now that starving people. However I would suggest some caution here, as the manner in which the medical establishment define obesity would have us looking rather gaunt and in need of a good meal. We’ve mixed up somewhere along the line the difference between need and want.
Dec 02, 2012 @ 19:28:04
Thanks for the interesting observation Gary. A lot like the distribution of wealth, the minority of people have access to the majority of the food in the world. But we in the West are greedy and even though we spend long hours burning off excess calories in the gym, few if any of us spare a thought for the starving millions elsewhere.
Namaste ~ Anupadin
Dec 02, 2012 @ 20:01:12
I agree and it’s shocking. To my mind it all comes down to the way we measure success. For most a good car, high salary and all the material trappings provide at least an illusion of happiness. My experience has been that when I’ve had a fair amount of excess money that the stress of keeping it makes me unhappy. The less I’ve had the happier I’ve been as there’s a real opportunity to reflect inwardly and measure success on a wholely different level. Bad leaders and politicians that are too acquisitive and also too focused on a particular geographical area lead ultimately to material riches for the overwhelming few and poverty for the third world. I could go on but I run the risk of writing a blog entry rather than a comment. So I better stop!! Regards…
Dec 02, 2012 @ 20:05:27
You have it spot on there Gary. The sooner we value people for how they are, rather than what they own, the better. Don’t go holding your breath though, it’s been this way it is for a very long time.